Flamethrower
The Flamethrower is a gaseous propellant based weapon that was created from scrap by the Metro dwellers at some point after the Great War of 2013. On numerous occasions it proved to be much more effective in protecting survivors than any other conventional weapon. Overview Flamethrowers are highly revered weapons known for a multitude of capabilities including raw offensive and defensive power, and a reputation as tools of psychological warfare. The narrow nature of the Metro tunnels makes it frighteningly effective against human and mutant opponents alike. Its ruggedness renders it incapable of sustaining a continuous stream of fire for a long time and although its "ammunition" is virtually unlimited, overheating problems often arise. The very first flamethrower is seen by the player on the way to Riga station. It is used by Riga militia to burn a horde of nosalises chasing the caravan. On the way to D6, during the Dark Star level, Artyom can use a flamethrower mounted on the Ranger's railcar against waves of nosalises forced into the tunnel by an approaching Anomaly. Like DShK machine gun, the flamethrower will overheat after sustained use, but does not run out of the fuel. The mounted variant of the flamethrower is only usable in Metro 2033. In Last Light portable version is seen but not useable until DLC missions. The portable and mounted variant both reappeared in Redux version. Metro Last Light A portable version of the flamethrower appears at the end of the Echoes level. After Pavel drags Artyom into the airlock, two soldiers armed with flamethrowers rush in front of them and kill the remaining watchers. Although it was hinted that it was going to be usable in game, the player never uses the flamethrower in the main campaign. However, a hand-held flamethrower is found in the Developer Pack - this version must be hand cranked to fire. It is also used in the Spider Lair mission, which is highly effective against spiderbugs and other mutants encountered. The stationary Metro 2033 version is no longer seen in Last Light, and later replaced by portable version in Metro 2033 Redux. Like with the Gatling, the Flamethrower users prefer the portable version in this game. Metro 2033 Redux The portable Flamethrower makes a comeback in the Metro 2033 Redux version, and is quite like its Last Light counterpart. It is first picked up automatically during Dark Star, replacing the mounted version. This is the only time you can pick it up, as there are no longer any shops to visit at this point in the game, and there aren't any dropped in D6 or at Ostankino Tower. Like its Last Light counterpart, and air powered weapons like the Tihar and Helsing, the Flamethrower has both ammo and "air" (propane or another flammable gas in this case) that need to be watched for maximum effectiveness. There is a pressure gauge on the backside indicating how much gas is left to use to light the fuel aflame, and a crank on the right side of the weapon to refill the gauge, and thus the flamethrower must be pumped like the Tihar and the Helsing to remain effective. The gauge has 2 lines on it, one white, and one red. If the needle drops below the white one, it will be somewhat less effective, and if it drops below the red, it will become very ineffective, but thankfully, unlike the Helsing and the Tihar, the Flamethrower is air tight by default and will never loose gas if pumped up to the max. The Flamethrower takes a few seconds to fire and has no iron sights, and instead the "aim" button turns on the pilot light at the end of the gun, making it faster to fire, but draining the gas power. Holding the aim button uses up gas at a slow rate, but still depletes it, so it is ill-advised to hold it down if you are not in danger. The ammo for the Flamethrower comes in bright red fuel canisters or sometimes, rarely, jerry cans of gasoline, and the Flamethrower can hold up to 200 "rounds" of fuel. Metro Exodus Though the flamethrower isn't usable in Metro Exodus, it can be seen punted on the back of the Baron's truck when Artyom makes his way through the oil rig. One can be found in Novosibirsk but requires the player to be using a trainer with no clip to access. It is the primary weapon of Colonel Khlebnikov in The Two Colonels DLC, and is both portable and customizable. It now also comes with a fuel gauge, to let the user know how much fuel is left in the current tank. Unlike the 2033 Redux/Last Light version, the player can simply tap the "aim" button to toggle the pilot light on and off, instead of having to hold the button down to keep it lit. Variants and Customization Metro 2033 & Last Light In Metro Last Light and Metro 2033 Redux, this weapon is one of the only weapons which doesn't accept any attachments. In the original Metro 2033, this weapon was only found in its stationary variant, which obviously isn't customizable either. Metro Exodus Customization options of this weapon are fairly limited, but it still has two upgrade slots, same as the Gatling. Same as in Metro Last Light, it operates very similarly to pneumatic weapons, so its mechanism can be upgraded in the same way as the Tikhar's pneumatic system, minus the railgun upgrade, of course. It also has a Magazine upgrade slot, with four different fuel tank sizes, ranging from a small portable stove holding fuel, to repurposed fire extinguishers and even a small jerrycan. All flamethrower upgrades are quite easily missed as the areas they are found in are dark, and the players only portable light source is the pilot light at the end of the flamethrower. Flamethrower upgrades are usually found near workbenches, so look around the room or in nearby rooms around workbenches. They are also marked by a white chalk drawing of a flame on the walls next to their location. Obtainment Related Achievements/Trophies Metro 2033 Metro Last Light Metro Exodus Trivia * The facts about real life flamethrowers have been completely warped by Hollywood films, and there are many false myths surrounding them: ** Flamethrowers do not actually throw flame - rather, they carry a liquid propellant (usually a fuel such as gasoline) that is stored in the tanks on the back. When it is fired, it is propelled down the pipe to the nozzle, where it is ignited (either manually by holding fire near the nozzle, or through a spark system), becoming burning fuel that coats anything and everything. ** Since the propellant is not actually fire, but burning fuel, it cannot be extinguished by jumping into water (not technically true, as, with the exception of phosphorus based fuels, fire requires access to oxygen, meaning water smothers it. the myth that the average petroleum fuel can burn underwater stems from it floating on top of water whilst it burns). In fact, it will continue to burn underwater meaning that if covered in it, you will die painfully regardless of attempts to extinguish the fire. Of course, there is a chance the flames on the burning fuel will set fire to the surroundings, but the risk is minimal in the face of the burning propellant. ** Shooting the fuel tanks of a flamethrower will NOT cause it to explode - rather the liquid fuel will leak out, meaning the flamethrower will just run out of fuel quickly. There are a few exceptions to this - using incendiary rounds WILL ignite the fuel as will setting fire to it manually, and there is a possibility that a spark could be caused by the rubbing of metal on the flamethrower, that could ignite the fuel too. **Real flamethrowers using liquid propellants have surprisingly long ranges, often dozens of meters or yards. For balancing reasons most videogames restrict such ranges. ** A flamethrower wielding soldier would not become a one man army, despite their overpowered nature in games, and was actually fairly vulnerable. *** Flamethrowers were very heavy and soldiers required an assistant to lift it onto their back. *** Futhermore, they would require an assistant at all times, to first turn the wheels on the tanks, letting fuel flow, and then to light the fuel at the end of the nozzle (unless it was a modern automatic version). *** Flamethrower wielding troopers, particularly in the World Wars, were not looked upon kindly by their enemies. The flamethrower was considered a barbaric weapon, despite all sides using them, so the soldier was often a prime target for snipers (and an easy one considering the flamethrower slowed them down). On top of this, many sides did not hold flamethrowing POWs, preferring to simply execute them for their crimes. ** Finally, real life flamethrowers are not 'unlimited' and actually can only be used in very short bursts before having to be refilled or replaced. For example, the WWII American M2 Flamethrower only had fuel for 7 seconds of non-stop firing, meaning it was generally used against fortifications in very short bursts. * The most terrifying aspect of flamethrowers in the Metro is, aside from the burning liquid propellant and searing temperatures, the fact that the burning fuel will empty all the oxygen out of the area - in heavily confined tunnels, those who do not burn to death will suffocate. ** This is likely why they are considered such cruel weapons to be used against humans, and are generally only reserved for mutants. The fact also probably means that people are hesitant to use them for fear their own oxygen will be used up and they will suffocate. * Although most real-life flamethrowers use liquid fuel, the flamethrower in Metro 2033 and Last Light seem to be using gas, possibly propane. This means that the Metro flamethrower actually does throw fire, hence its very short range. * Like its counterparts in other games, the flamethrower has limited range but deals massive damage, particularly to mutants. * Flamethrowers and other mounted weapons may be hard to aim if your performance is not smooth enough, as the reticule tends to "float" past the intended target, and lag makes it hard to control this. * In the novel, the flamethrower was used during the Hansa- Red Line War by both sides, and is widely regarded as a war crime. The flamethrower is also used when a child Artyom, Sukhoi and several others are escaping from the rat swarm that destroyed their home station of Timiryazevskaya, and to 'decontaminate' refugees from plagued stations. * The Red soldiers in one occasion in Metro: Last Light have talked about the use of the flamethrowers in the coming war, though its use is still taboo for them. ** Ironically, Red heavy troopers wield flamethrowers during the Battle of D6 and on Frontline. It is possible that most rules and taboos are ignored in times of war, like the most countries did in WWII. * The hand-held flamethrower is said to be able to use almost any type of fuel as its ammo. Gallery Metro last light.0 cinema 640.0.jpg|Flamethrower in Spider Lair File:ME_Screenshot_Flamethrower.jpg|Flamethrower in Metro Exodus de:Flammenwerfer Category:Weapons Category:Metro 2033 Novel Category:Metro Last Light Category:Developer Pack DLC Category:Metro Made Weapons Category:Heavy Weapons Category:Emplacement Weapons